Taxonomic Studies on the Ichthyofauna of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary....Meghalaya 445 ISSN 0375-1511
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KHYNRIAM and SEN : Taxonomic studies on the Ichthyofauna of Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary....Meghalaya 445 ISSN 0375-1511 Rec. zool. Surv. India : 116(Part-4) : 445-476, 2016 TAXONOMIC STUDIES ON THE ICHTHYOFAUNA OF NONGKHYLLEM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY AND ITS ADJACENT AREAS, RI-BHOI DISTRICT, MEGHALAYA DIMOS KHYNRIAM AND NIBEDITA SEN Zoological Survey of India, North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong–793003. ABSTRACT The present study inventorised the ichthyofaunal diversity of Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary and its adjacent areas in Ri-bhoi district of Meghalaya. A total of 39 species belonging to 25 genera, 14 families and 5 orders were documented. The aquatic bodies in the sanctuary and its adjacent areas served as an ideal habitat for the conservation of endangered species of fish (Tor putitora, Schistura sijuensis, Clarias magur and Pillaia indica). INTRODUCTION Protected forests (12 Km2) and unclassified forests 2 Meghalaya lies in between 25° and 26° 10´ (8371 Km ). Meghalaya has two National parks – 2 latitudes and 89° 47´ and 92° 47´ longitude in north Balpakram National park (220 Km ) and Nokrek 2 east of India, bounded on the north by Goalpara, National Park (47.48 Km ) and three wildlife Kamrup and Nowgong districts, on the east by sanctuaries – Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary 2 2 north Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts, all of (29 Km ), Siju wildlife sanctuary (5.18 Km ) and Assam and on the west and south by Bangladesh. Baghmara Pitcher plant wildlife sanctuary (0.02 2 It became an Autonomous Hill State on 2nd April, Km ). 1970 and later, it was accorded full Statehood on The government of Meghalaya in exercising 21st January, 1972. The State extends over an area the power conferred by sub-section (1) of of 22429 Km2 and comprising of 11 districts – section 18 of the wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South-west (Central Act 53 of 1972) consider a portion of the Khasi Hills, East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, Nongkhyllem Reserve Forest under the Meghalaya Ri-Bhoi, East Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, West Forest Regulation (Assam Regulation 7 of 1891 Garo Hills, North Garo Hills and South-west Garo as adopted by Meghalaya) to be of adequate Hills. ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological and Meghalaya is rich in natural vegetation which natural significance for the purpose of protection, consists of different types of forests ranging propagation and development of wildlife and 2 from coniferous pines in the upper hills regions declared an area of 29 Km approximate as wildlife to temperate forest and sub-tropical forests in sanctuary in the year 1981 vide Government th the middle and lower hills and tropical forests notification No. FOR.25/81/5(A) dated 25 March, in the plains. The total recorded forest areas of 1981. Meghalaya as per the India State of Forest Report, The Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary (NWLS) 2013 published by Forest Survey of India is 9496 is located in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya about Km2 classified as Reserved forests (1113 Km2), 80 km from Shillong and accessible through 446 Rec. zool. Surv. India the forests beat offices at Adit point, Umtasor Umran, Umksih, Myrdon, Mawtari, Nongmahir, and Lailad under the Range office at Nongpoh Nongkseh, Sohjirang, Nongkynrih, Nongbirlum, and Headquarter at Shillong. The sanctuary can Tasku, Umsohma, Lailad Rim, Umling, be approached from Umling on the Guwahati- Mawdiangum, Saiden, Shangbangla, Umladoh, Shillong Highway (NH-40) and then 17 km along Umdu and others. The Hydroelectric power Umling-Patharkhmah road up to Lailad village. project of Meghalaya Energy Corporation The co-ordinates of the sanctuary recorded during Limited is also located close to Nongkhyllem the study periods ranges from 91°44´17.0´´ and protected area. Farmers residing in these nearby 91°48´46.7´´ Longitude to 25°50´17.1´´ and villages are still practicing slash-and-burn shifting 25° 56´ 00.1´´ Latitude with altitude ranging from cultivation (jhums) and their common plantations 193-965m. It is being surrounded by Nongkhyllem are rice, beetle nut, beetle leaf, pineapple, oranges, Reserve Forest, private and community forests jackfruit, banana, rubber, broom stick etc. As some and the forests under the Autonomous district of these settlements and plantations are close to council, which together provide a buffer zone the boundaries of the protected area, man-animal of about 319.25 Km2. The state government conflict is a frequent case during the recent past acquired a portion of the community forest (23 especially with wild elephants. The other wildlife Km2) located to the west of the Umtrew River in in Nongkhyllem protected area is under constant 2002 for future extension of the sanctuary. The threat from poachers from nearby villages who sanctuary has a tropical monsoon climate with often indulge in illegal hunting. temperature ranging from 6°C to 32°C and average According to the published information, the annual rainfall about 2000-3000mm. The major sanctuary is rich in wildlife fauna and harbour part of the habitat is Tropical Moist Deciduous some of the rare and endangered species. The forest with patches of Tropical Semi-Evergreen Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary is one of the forest, Montane grassy land and large stretches important bird areas (IBA) in India, code IN- of bamboos. Plantations of the Forest Department ML-04. About 50 species of mammals, 25 species are mostly Sal (Shorea robusta) and Teak of reptiles and over 300 species of avifauna have (Tectona grandis). Two perennial rivers drain been reported (Choudhury, 1998 & 1999; Gupta the Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary. The Umtrew and Sharma, 2005; Dohling and Sathyakumar, River runs west and north along the boundary of 2011). The key fauna recorded includes a high the sanctuary and Nongkhyllem Reserve forest. density of large mammals such as wild Asian The Umran River runs along the east, cut through Elephants Elephas maximus, Tiger Panthera the centre of the sanctuary and finally drains into tigris, Leopard Panthera pardus, Clouded Leopard the Umtrew River in the west. The tributaries of Neofelis nebulosa, Leopard Cat Prionailurus the Umtrew River include the Umling River in the bengalensis, Jungle Cat Felis chaus, Fishing north-eastern part of the sanctuary, the Umtasor Cat Felis viverrinus, Wild dog Cuon alpinus, stream along the south and east and Ummluh River Himalayan Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Sloth in the west. The Umlammar stream, Ummar River Bear Merursus ursinus, Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates and Umjaphing stream are the tributaries of the hoolock, Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Capped Umtrew River from the proposed extension area of Langur Trachypithecus pileata, Rhesus macaque the Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary. The natural Macaca multta, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Barking lake called ‘Birbah’ is in the southern part of Deer Muntiacus muntjak, Gaur Bos frontalis, the sanctuary. The open area of the lake is being Binturong Arctictis binturong and Malayan Giant reduced by grass and reeds. Squirrel Ratufa bicolor. Besides, the notable There are human settlements surrounding mammals, wild boar, civets and mangoose are also the sanctuary and protected reserve forests of present in the sanctuary. Among the reptiles, Asian Nongkhyllem. These are Umtasor, Kynjoin Leaf Turtle Cyclemis dentata, Common Monitor KHYNRIAM and SEN : Taxonomic studies on the Ichthyofauna of Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary....Meghalaya 447 Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary Boundary map 448 Rec. zool. Surv. India Lizard Varanus bengalensis and Water Monitor SYSTEMATIC LIST Lizard Varanus salvator were recorded. The snakes Phylum CHORDATA includes the Indian Rock Python Python molurus, King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah, Banded Krait Class ACTINOPTERYGII Bungarus fasciatus, Common Krait Bungarus Order ANGUILLIFORMES caeruleus, Buffstriped Keelback Amphiesma Family ANGUILLIDAE stolata and Vipers such as Green or Bamboo 1. Anguilla bengalensis (Gray, 1831) Pit Viper Trimeresurus gramineus. Among the Order CYPRINIFORMES insect fauna 52 species of Hymenoptera have been documented by Mathew (2003). Sen (1995) Family CYPRINIDAE reported 152 species of fishes from Meghalaya 2. Barilius bendelisis (Hamilton, 1807) including about 19 species from adjacent areas 3. Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758 (Lailad, Umran and Nongkhyllem Reserve) of 4. Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822) Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary. Literature on the fish fauna of Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary in 5. Devario aequipinnatus (McClelland, 1839) particular is scanty. The present study therefore 6. Esomus danrica (Hamilton, 1822) attempts to inventorise and document the fish 7. Garra annandalei Hora, 1921 fauna in Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary and its 8. Garra gotyla (Gray, 1832) adjacent areas. 9. Garra lamta (Hamilton, 1822) MATERIALS AND METHODS 10. Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822) Samplings of fishes were carried out form April, 11. Labeo bata (Hamilton, 1822) 2012 to March, 2014 and a total of 8 quarterly 12. Neolissochilus hexagonolepis (McClelland, surveys of 5 days duration each were conducted. 1839) The fishes were collected from Umtrew River 13. Neolissochilus hexastichus (McClelland, 1839) and its tributaries (Umran, Umling, Ummluh and Ummar rivers), perennial hill streams (Umtasor, 14. Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) Umnongpha, Umjaphing, Umdu, Umski, Umsyei), 15. Tor tor (Hamilton, 1822) seasonally unnamed streamlets and ponds, lake 16. Pethia shalynius (Yazdani & Talukdar, 1975) (Birbah) and rice fields. Hand nets, scoop nets, 17. Puntius chola (Hamilton,